1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an axial flux, electromotive generating device that includes rotors having a plurality of magnets mounted thereto and a stator core assembly having a plurality of annular grooves and corrugations formed along the interior and exterior of the stator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Axial flux electromotive generating devices have been widely described in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,105 to Kliman et al describes such a device having a rotatable shaft, a rotor disk coupled to the shaft, a permanent magnet supported by the rotor disk, a stator extension positioned in parallel with the rotor disk, two molded iron pole elements attached to the stator extension and facing the permanent magnet and two electrical coils wrapped around the corresponding two molded iron pole elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,576 to Applegate discloses an electromotive generator which utilizes a plurality of stator members, each stator member including a coil and top and bottom elements separated by a gap. The top and bottom elements each include a face. The generator further includes a rotor having a plurality of magnets. The rotor is rotatably mounted, such than the plurality of magnets pass within the gaps in the stator members when the rotor is rotated with respect to the stator. The magnets have a shape substantially equal to the shape of the stator member faces. Each of the magnets overlaps the stator ices as the rotor rotates such than the area of overlap and non-overlap of each of the magnets changes non-linearly.
Both of the above patents exemplify the general concept of axial flux motors.
Copending application Ser. No. 10/457,318 filed Jun. 10, 2003, the inventor thereof being the inventor of the subject matter of the instant application, discloses an axial flux electromotive device with a stator having a single coil and an internal structure forming a plurality of corrugations comprising peaks and valleys intersected by annular grooves thus forming pole faces and rotor disks having permanent magnets secured to the outer surface of the disks and positioned to rotate within the grooves. The permanent magnets are opposed in polarity disk to disk as well as being offset about the circumference so that one disk set will align with one set of corrugations and the other disk set will align with the pole face created by the intersection of the corrugations and the adjacent annular grooves. Energizing the single coil with alternating current causes the permanent magnets and associated disks to rotate.
What is desired is to provide an improved device that produces increased torque as the stator coils (or coil) are energized, wherein more efficient utilization of field interactions by actively shaping the flux field as well as reacting to it is provided, and wherein the device is simplified in construction and control.